Shaneika Booker >Senior >Journalism >Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Is graduation money running low and being home with your parents getting old? Then it’s time to think about the future and a job. We’re not just talking about any job, however; We’re talking about your dream job.
It’s finally time to live out that dream of what you said you would grow up to be. As a kid did you want to a police officer, a fire fighter, a doctor or maybe a lawyer?
Well that was then and this is now. Careers are not just based on the cool uniforms anymore, but instead on more important factors. Today there are many career paths to choose from, such as chefs, designers, journalists and even entrepreneurs. Things like work hours, the work environment, a great salary, and medical and personal benefits play a major role when choosing a career.
According to usnews.gov the most popular careers are:
1. Physician and Registered Nurse
2. Physical Therapist
3. Software Engineers
4. Management Analyst
5. Computer/Network System Analyst
Sheila Rucker, a recent graduate from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, says her dream job is all about doing something she loves.
“I want to become a registered nurse,” Rucker says. “I want to help people; I could care less about great pay, although that would be a plus.”
Surprisingly, working for yourself instead of working for a big company has become a trend. Becoming an entrepreneur has become a popular choice among recent college graduates.
Matthew Simpson, a senior at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, wants to become a financial analyst after graduation to benefit his future.
“Being able to gauge the financial health of a business will be a valuable skill to have,” says Simpson. “I’ll use it when I get into business for myself.”
Alicia Landrum, a recent graduate of Chicago State University, majored in business and has already created her dream job with her Christian clothing company.
“College wasn’t about success so that I could be a paid employee for someone else’s firm, but more for what God has positioned for me and that is to spread Gospel through my company,” says Landrum.
Today, unusual jobs, like bloggers, have become a more common job choice. According to marketingterms.com, “blogging is a frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and Web links and it has become very popular.” Many people blog to voice their opinion and create an online fan base for their writing. One of the most common types of blog is celebrity gossip websites, like Perez Hilton, TMZ, Media Takeout and NecoleBitchie.com. According to NecoleBitchie.com, before Necole created the site, she was jobless and created her own job once she noticed a lack of jobs in the industry. Her blog is now one of the fastest growing celebrity urban blog sites on the Internet.
With the Internet playing a huge role in this generation, web designers, graphic artists, and bloggers are becoming more common careers. However, some students are still going a completely different route.
Jeena Jones, a Master’s student from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, explains that she has two major career goals. One of her dream jobs is to become a CEO of a fortune 500 company, and the other is to become the Prime Minister of Barbados, her home country.
“Although we are the third largest nation in the hemisphere behind Canada and the US, there are major issues that need to be dealt with along with other Caribbean nations, and I want to be a part of the solution,” she says.
When choosing your perfect job or career, think outside the box. Your dream job could be anything. Your next career choice could be something you’re good at, something you’re passionate about, or something new that you’re interested in pursuing. In the next ten years, who knows what dream jobs will have been created. What is your dream job?
